


And They Called It Puppy Love

by jellybeanforest



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Baby Groot-Centered Fic, Blink and You'll Miss It Kragdu, Cultural Differences, First Love, Gen, GotG Kinkmeme Prompt, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Rarest of Rare Pairs, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, protective rocket
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 21:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12873291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellybeanforest/pseuds/jellybeanforest
Summary: Groot has a crush. Now if only everyone would stop cock-blocking him, he might get somewhere.LJ GotG Kinkmeme Prompt Fill





	And They Called It Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

> One month into this fandom, and it’s already getting weird. But seriously, this is a departure from what I usually write. I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Summary of the Prompt: Groot develops romantic interest in someone and decides to court them. In his culture, they grow things (flowers, fruit) to show affection, which the other tree eats if they return their feelings. If someone other than the intended eats the fruit, it can be interpreted as anything from cock-blocking to sexual harassment.

“Hey Groot, hand me a screwdriver.” Rocket is elbow-deep in his latest project.

“I am Groot,” Groot holds out the requested “screwdriver,” hope in his big baby eyes. He doesn’t like disappointing Rocket, but he’s still small and not versed in the finer points of tool identification, or any general object identification really.

“No Groot, that’s a wrench,” Rocket sighs. “A screwdriver is a long skinny pointy thing about yay-big,” he holds his hands roughly 9 inches apart, “for turning screws.” He lifts up a screw to show Groot. “It’s over there in my toolbox.” Rocket indicates the general direction of his mess of tools with a shrug, like that would be much help. Why does he even try?

Groot scampers off to retrieve this “screwdriver,” whatever that is. Rocket just shakes his head. It would be faster for him to get it himself, but then Groot’s language development will remain stunted. When he returns, the object in Groot’s possession is decidedly not a screwdriver.

“I am Groot?” Groot holds up one of Kraglin’s knives laid across his twiggy arms towards Rocket. Well, Rocket has to admit… it is thin and pointy and about yay-big. The kid’s learning.

“That ain’t it,” Kraglin says from across the room. He lopes over in five steps, retrieves his knife from Groot and hands Rocket a screwdriver.

“He almost had it that time,” Rocket says, but he still accepts the presented tool.

“Sure, but at the rate he’s goin’, you’d finish a 45 minute repair job in ‘bout three days, give or take.” Kraglin inspects the tangle of wires emerging from the cylindrical mechanism.

Rocket rolls his eyes. “What do you know about fixing plasma cannons?”

“I know ya wired it backwards.”

Damn, that’s embarrassing. In trying to teach Groot basic speech, Rocket hadn’t been paying that much attention to his primary task.

“Need a hand?” Kraglin offers. If he is going to stay on the Quadrant, he might as well make himself useful. Rocket grunts, which Kraglin takes as a yes. He grabs a soldering gun and takes a seat next to Rocket. Groot moves to poke at Kraglin’s tool.

“Don’t touch that. It’s hot,” Rocket warns.

“I am Groot?” Groot’s fingers hover near the tip of the soldering gun. Kraglin ignores him, making no effort to pull back the tip to avoid Groot, and continues his work. If the kid wants to stick his finger into a dangerous situation, then let him, Kraglin thinks. Only way he’ll learn to do differently in the future is through experience. Hell, that’s how they trained Pete on the Eclector, and he turned out okay. He only flinches a little bit around electric prongs.

“He’s much less flammable than you,” Rocket replies, batting away tiny hands.

 

* * *

 

Rocket is out of Krobranium transistors, but luckily the Quadrant isn’t too far from Knowhere. It’s a quick pit stop, no more than a couple of days, so no need to assemble the entire crew. Rocket opts to ask Gamora to accompany him. She’s competent, efficient, and 9.6 times less likely than anyone else to be easily distracted by something shiny. In short, she’s the perfect planet-side companion for a quick pit stop without it devolving into a clusterfuck. Still, there is the matter of a baby tree to attend to…

“Kraglin, you’re on babysitting duty.” Rocket points to Kraglin as he and Gamora prepare to board the Milano. The Guardians have assembled on the docks to see them off.

“What? Why me?” Stars alive, why is he the one always getting stuck watching some brat?

“You’ve had practice,” Rocket jerks a thumb in Quill’s direction. “And besides, he likes you.”

“I am Groot,” Groot protests.

“It’s a better excuse than saying ‘you’re the most expendable idiot here.’” Rocket clarifies to Groot. Kraglin is not amused. He may not look like much, but he’s capable and useful, dammit. Certainly, his talents are wasted on _babysitting_.

Rocket glances at Kraglin and notes his expression. Why is he so upset? “What? Quill flies. Drax cooks. And Bug girl… Well, Groot finds her empathy…” He twirls his hand trying to find the right word, “off-putting.”

“He doesn’t like me?” Mantis’s antennae droop as she appears to deflate.

“I am Groot.”

“Hey, that wasn’t very nice!” Rocket says. Mantis shrinks a little more.

“Okay, fine. I’ll watch the kid,” Kraglin picks up Groot with one hand and places him on the railing next to him.

Later that day, Kraglin sharpens his knives at a work bench, tests the razor edge, and re-sharpens them. His current pre-occupation has virtually nothing to do with Rocket calling him out for being a waste of space; he just doesn’t want to become complacent. If the Guardians tire of him… Kraglin gives himself a mental shake. Well, what does Rocket know? Hell, Kraglin may not be a Guardian, but he is Guardian-adjacent or something. It doesn’t matter anyway. He doesn’t need to belong anywhere. Groot looks on morosely. His best friend and the only person who truly understands him is gone, leaving Groot with some skinny squishy idiot who can barely parse an “I am GROOT” from an “I AM Groot.”

“Hey kid, can ya hand me that fine-grain whetstone?” Kraglin asks. Groot perks up. He likes being useful. “Rectangular stone block over thar.” He points directly to an item at the end of the table. Groot can manage that. He jumps up, scampers across the table, and brings the correct tool to Kraglin.

“Thanks, Kid,” Kraglin replies simply. He wets the block and starts to work sharpening one of his knives yet again.

Groot finally did it! He got the right thing the first time! Maybe this idiot isn’t so bad after all. He goes to examine the knife Kraglin is working on. His tiny hands edge close to the blade.

“Wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” Kraglin says, but he doesn’t move the knife away. Groot looks up with big inquisitive eyes.

“I am Groot?”

“Is just sharp is all. But hey, ya don’t believe me, just try it yerself an’ see,” Kraglin replies, still not looking at Groot.

Groot decides to leave the blade alone.

“Good choice, kid,” Kraglin says, noting the lack of cut wooden baby fingers and screams. He wishes Pete had half the sense Groot displayed when he had first “joined” the Ravagers. He smiles at the memory of Pete touching Thrabba’s shock knuckles the first time after being told not to. He had the most satisfying screams back then.

Kraglin is smiling at Groot, like Groot did something really good all by himself, without needing anyone’s help. Groot smiles back. Kraglin is the first person to not treat him like a baby, to give him an opportunity to fail. Maybe he isn’t half bad. Groot feels a little rustle in his belly looking at Kraglin. Huh. It must have been the blue starlight from the nearby window unsettling his stomach. He usually prefers red.

 

* * *

 

Groot considers Kraglin the next day while sitting on the kitchen table, swinging his legs off the side. Although Kraglin is missing a handsome rough layer of bark and leaves, the Xandarian towers over him, tall and thin like a springy sapling. He can’t grow vines to defend himself, but sharp knives fly from his sleeves to pierce his enemies just the same. He’s largely quiet, allowing Groot to do most of the talking. It’s nice. Groot figures he’s a good listener, which is an excellent quality in a partner. Overall, Kraglin is kind of attractive in an ugly, fleshy way, more so than his other unfortunately-more-hideous friends (not that Groot is rude enough to point this out to them most of the time, not that they understand what he’s saying).

Having never been the type of tree to pine from afar, Groot decides to take action on his burgeoning crush. He needs to show Kraglin how he feels. Words won’t be necessary to woo his squishy paramour. Among the Floral Colossus, feelings are shown through grown gifts of fruit and flowers. Acceptance of such personal gifts indicates returned feelings. Groot closes his eyes and concentrates the soft knot of sentiment in his gut, pushing it towards the surface. On his shoulder, a white flower emerges and unfurls, blooming in the gentle fragility of first love.

“Ooooh Pretty…” Having just entered the kitchen, Mantis reaches down to caress the flower perched on Groot’s shoulder. Being formerly planet-bound, Mantis sometimes misses the trappings of nature.

“I AM GROOOOOOOT!”

Mantis screams as Groot launches himself at her, viscous in his righteous fury. He feels violated. How dare she touch it! She had no right.

 

* * *

 

Groot scampers across the room, finding Kraglin bent over a widget he’s putting back together.

“I am Groot.” He says shyly.

“Hey twig, whatchu want?” Kraglin doesn’t look down towards Groot, concentrating on his work. Groot kicks his foot and holds up the remains of the wilted, embattled flower. It’s missing two of its petals and the delicate stamens are crushed. Kraglin glances down and stares at the tattered flower then at the little tree, his eyebrow quirked into a perplexed expression.

“I am Groot,” Groot says wholeheartedly. He pushes the proffered flower up higher. Kraglin reaches down and plucks it from his outstretched hands.

“Um… thanks?” He says.

“I am Groot,” Groot replies, happily. He bounces up Kraglin’s body and balances on the thin landing of his shoulder.

“Alright kid,” Kraglin responds. He doesn’t know what to do with the flower, so he hands it back to Groot, who places it behind Kraglin’s ear. Kraglin wants to brush it off, but one look at Groot’s large dilated eyes has his resolve faltering. The little guy doesn’t ask for much, and he is mighty cute in a baby-ish kind of way, much cuter than his prior babysitting charge currently piloting the Quadrant. Kraglin supposes he can leave it there until the little tree tires of his perch and leaves.

Groot stays late into the night. When he nods off, he sleepily wraps his arms around Kraglin’s neck and nuzzles the tattoos trailing down from behind his ear. He’s drooling sticky sap onto his hair, so Kraglin gathers him in one hand and carries him to Groot and Rocket’s room with a rarely-used gentleness he forgot he was capable of. He brushes the now withered flower off his ear and returns to his workbench.

In the morning, Groot is back again. He hops up onto Kraglin’s knee and holds up some small red berries.

“That poisonous?” Kraglin narrows his eyes in suspicion at the gift.

“I am Groot,” Groot replies. He stands on his tip-toes then, bringing the fruit closer to Kraglin’s face. Kraglin studies Groot. Searching his eyes, he finds no trace of treachery, only trust, earnestness, and a touch of wonder. Once he is reasonably sure the tree isn’t trying to murder him, he plucks the fruit from Groot’s hands and pops it into his mouth. It’s sweet and juicy, tasting nothing like Drax’s questionable cooking.

“Thanks, Twig.” Kraglin likes food, particularly sweets, and he doesn’t get too many chances to have fresh fruit in deep space.

“I am Groot.” Groot bounces gleefully. He couldn’t be happier. Kraglin has accepted the fruit and seems to really enjoy it. He likes him, too!

 

* * *

 

Groot spends the whole morning making an entire bowl of red berries in the kitchen. He leaves to find Kraglin in the docking area, working on one of their smaller ships, and bounds right up to him.

“I am Groot!” He exclaims, smiling broadly.

“Hey Groot,” Kraglin replies simply.

“I am Groot,” Groot pulls insistently at his pant leg, trying to lead him back to the kitchen where his gift awaits. Kraglin will be so surprised, and then maybe Groot will weave an entire cloak of flowers and leaves to cover that weirdly-smooth, sparsely-furred bark-layer he’s got.

“Okay, okay. I’m going,” Kraglin follows a bouncing Groot. When they reach the kitchen, Groot’s smile freezes, and he stands rooted to the ground. Around the table sit Drax, Peter, and Mantis. The bowl of beautiful red berries is missing.

“I made pancakes. Would you like some?” Drax says, flipping a couple onto a plate. They are speckled red.

“Sure,” Kraglin replies, taking a seat at the table. “Groot came to get me for lunch, I guess.”

“I AM GROOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!” Groot yells as his vine arms grow and attack Drax, knocking the bowl of pancake mix out of his hand and smashing it to the ground. Drax ducks behind the counter as Groot runs to catch him, his vines flailing, throwing dishes through the air and crashing them against the walls. Mantis yelps and hides under the table.

“What the hell, Groot!” Pete yelps, ducking to avoid flying dishes.

“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!” Groot screams, still trying to smack Drax about the head.

“Hey Kid, Stop it!” Kraglin scoops him up. Groot turns in mid-battle cry, whipping his vines around and striking Kraglin across the head.

“Ooooof!” Kraglin hits the ground hard. For a little guy, Groot sure packs a punch.

Groot immediately halts his tirade. His face falls when his sad, regretful eyes take in an injured Kraglin as he rises from the floor into a seated position, elbows on his bent knees, rubbing the side of his smarting head. Groot approaches slowly and pats his leg.

“I am Groot?” Groot says tentatively. He had been trying so hard to get Kraglin to like him. He didn’t mean to hit him.

_Pat. Pat. Pat._

“i am groot?” He tries again, on the verge of tears.

“Fuckin’ A, Kid,” Kraglin moans from his seated position.

“Hey! Language…” Peter reminds him, straightening up from his crouch. He knows it’s a losing battle, and Groot already has the mouth of a space pirate, but the tree is still so young. He crosses over, and offers a hand to Kraglin. Kraglin accepts and let’s Pete help haul him to his feet.

“I am Groot,” Groot says sadly. He scampers away from Kraglin and out of the kitchen. Groot hit Kraglin, and now he is upset at him! Groot can’t bear seeing Kraglin, a victim of his domestic abuse, look at him differently, like he’s some sort of pint-sized monster.

Groot avoids Kraglin for the rest of the day and the next, up until Rocket and Gamora return.

“There was sort of an… incident with Groot,” Pete begins.

Rocket sighs, “What did he do?”

“He went ballistic in the kitchen yesterday. He tried to attack Drax for his cooking. Now, usually that would make sense, but Groot’s a tree and doesn’t have to eat anything Drax makes, so I don’t know what had him so upset. He’s been moody ever since,” Pete explains.

“I’ll talk to him.” Rocket sets off to find his small friend. Honestly, Rocket can’t leave Groot for three days without it turning into a whole situation. Maybe he should start teaching the little guy sign language, which might work if Groot’s vocabulary was better or if Rocket actually knew intergalactic standard sign language.

Rocket finds Groot hiding under his bed. He burrows under it and sits next to him.

“Hey, Buddy. I heard you got mad at Drax for… something or other. Want to tell me what happened?”

“I am Groot.”

“Uh huh.”

“I AM Groot.”

“Right.”

“i am groot,” He finishes.

“Oh boy,” Rocket rubs his closed eyes. He was hoping to delay this talk for when Groot was maybe a little older and Rocket was hopefully dead. “Uh buddy, I’m sure he’s not mad at you. He’s a Ravager. They get tossed around all the time. But, um, you sure he feels the same way about you?”

“i am groot,” Groot’s voice is small and forlorn.

Rocket gently pats Groot’s back. “It’ll be all right, Groot. If you want, I can talk to him.”

“I am Groot,” Groot perks up hopefully. Rocket is good with words. He will get Kraglin to understand that he didn’t mean to hit him, and then they can get back to developing their budding relationship.  Everything will be okay.

 

* * *

 

“Ooooof! The hell, rat! What was that for?” Kraglin rubs his smarting shoulder. Why did Rocket throw… he looks at the object beside him, a wrench? Rocket could have really hurt him if he aimed a little higher. Are all the Guardians this insane? On the other hand, all those hits to the head would explain a few things…

“Groot. What did you do?” Rocket is incensed. “He’s just a child, you pedophile!” Rocket launches at Kraglin, trying to gouge out his pretty blue eyes with piercing tiny claws. They end up on the floor; Kraglin wrestling him down. Rocket is small and lighter than Kraglin but he’s fast and agile, so it’s no easy task. As soon as Kraglin thinks he has him pinned, he squirms out and aims for his face again.

 _Pedo-what?_ Kraglin is confused as he tries to grab a hold of the raccoon. _What is Rocket going on about now?_

“I didn’ do nothing to the kid. He was just helpin’ me sharpen m’ sword.” Kraglin explains. Rocket looks murderous as he juts forward and tries to bite off Kraglin’s nose. “Not like that!” Kraglin pulls back to avoid sharp teeth. “Dammit, Will ya stop that and listen!” Kraglin puts his arm across Rocket’s chest to pin him while he places his other hand on Rocket’s stomach.

“Look, I jus’ did what ya asked me to. I watched him while I did m’ work. Kid’s nice, but way too young. I don’ swing tha’ way,” Kraglin is panting from the exertion. He watches Rocket warily, waiting for the next attack.

Rocket regards him. He doesn’t seem to be lying, but then… Wait. “Did Groot give you anything?”

“What?” The question surprises Kraglin.

“Groot. Did. He. Give. You. Anything.” Rocket says through bared teeth.

“Well yeah, some fruit I guess. Was pretty tasty,” Kraglin replies simply. “Doesn’t he do that for you?” He asks at Rocket’s expression of quiet rage.

Rocket takes both hands and pushes against the arm on his chest. “Okay, let me up, you idiot. Promise I won’t attack you no more.”

Kraglin looks warily at Rocket, as if he half-suspects him of lying, but he carefully removes his arms and sits back just the same. “Don’t make me regret that, rat.”

Rocket sighs. This is a difficult, but necessary, conversation. “You gotta understand. Groot’s species… He’s a tree. He isn’t like you and me. When he likes someone, you know, _like_ -likes someone, there’s this thing they do.”

Kraglin doesn’t like where this is going. _Does this mean…?_ Oh hell…

“They grow stuff for the other person, and if it’s accepted… It means the other person likes them the same way, too.” Rocket finishes. He looks over at Kraglin to see if he catches his meaning only to find the man shell-shocked.

After a long moment of silence... “So yer sayin’… the kid likes me like that?” Kraglin finally asks. He looks horrified at the prospect.

Rocket closes his eyes, pinches the bridge of his nose, and takes a deep breath. “I think you should talk to him. Let him down easy.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey Kid, Rocket told me you was back here,” Kraglin says as he enters Rocket and Groot’s bedroom and sits on the bed.

Groot scampers over and jumps up to sit next to Kraglin. He looks up at him with big baby eyes. Kraglin stares back and internally groans. This is going to be difficult.

“I am Groot?” He says, hopefully.

“Yeah, about that. Here’s the thing: I like ya but not really in the same way ya like me,” Kraglin flinches when he sees Groot visibly deflate. Is… is he about to cry? Oh hell…

“i am groot?” His voice is small and pathetic.

“Look, Kid. You don’t want me. I ain’t no good. I’m rough and smelly and not nice at all…”

“I am GROOT,” Groot replies a little too fast.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Kraglin looks away then. “Truth is, Kid, I ain’t good at relationships. I used to have… someone, but they died recently, and I don’t think I can ever feel like that again. Yer young an’ ya got a good heart an’ a bright future, and I’m old and I… just don’t.” He looks back at the drooping little tree. Kraglin has never been good at being a heartbreaker, especially when the other person is so cute and looking at him with those big black eyes.

“Fer what it’s worth, Kid, I’m sorry.” He awkwardly pats the little tree on the back, gets up off the bed, puts hands in his pockets, and leaves. He doesn’t glance back. Groot remains seated, looking forlornly at his clasped hands. He wants to cry.

Rocket walks in. “Hey Groot. How you holding up buddy?” He hops onto the bed on the side opposite where Kraglin had been sitting.

“i am groot…” Groot says. He sounds defeated.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, Groot. Love can be a bitch.” Rocket says.

“i am groot,” Groot commiserates.

“Hey, so… You want to help me fix the suspension system on the Milano before Quill notices it’s broken? I… Gamora did something to it while we were on our little trip. Probably rode a little too rough-shod over another ship during an amazingly-executed evasion technique,” Rocket offers, looking carefully at Groot. Groot sadly looks up and shakes his head up and down.

Later, in the hanger, Rocket is tinkering with the Milano’s underside.

“Hey Groot, can you hand me a screwdriver?” He calls out.

Groot peers into Rocket’s tool box. His vines move towards a pair of wire cutters before the shine of a long, straight, pointy tool catches his attention. It looks so familiar…

Groot hands Rocket a screwdriver. Rocket examines it and is surprised to find Groot retrieved the right tool.

“Thanks, Groot. You’re getting better at this,” Rocket compliments him, ducking back under the Milano.

Groot looks at him then, smiling a large toothless grin.

“I am Groot.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end, congratulations! You just read a fic where about a third of the dialogue is “I am Groot.” Anyways, I thought it would be cute to pair Groot and Mantis together, but I figure with her empathy powers, she’d figure it out pretty quickly the moment she touched him. Plus, Groot having a crush on Kraglin was way more ridiculous and had more comedic potential.
> 
> Here’s the Original Prompt in full:  
> Groot takes an interest in someone and decides to court according to his culture.  
> Groot's race grows each other things to show emotions/affection.  
> A flower, for example is a nice platonic hug.  
> When they are really serious about someone, they grow fruit, which the other tree eats if they reciprocate.  
> Different fruit has different meanings: an apple is akin a kiss, cherries are akin to a marriage proposal.  
> If someone else other then the intended eat the fruit, it can be interpreted as anything cock-blocking to sexual harassment.  
> Only Groot (and possibly Rocket) know this and wacky misunderstandings occur


End file.
